Western Washington University is many things to Bellingham’s community as the landmark defining us as a college town, many locals’ alma mater, and a nice place to visit. The campus offers countless fun activities open to the public, including performances, sports, and art and science museums.
Public parking is available for purchase at Western’s C lots, with free parking after 4:30 p.m. on weekdays and all hours on weekends. Routes 1, 14, and 105 on WTA buses also access campus. From there, you have numerous permanent and scheduled activities to enjoy.
Events at Western Washington University
Western’s website offers an events calendar and a Western Involvement Network (WIN) Calendar. These list sporting events, concerts, performing arts, social gatherings, film screenings, educational presentations and workshops, and more. Although many are geared toward students, they are typically open for the public to attend. See a specific event’s listing for information on whether you need to buy tickets or RSVP.
Sign kiosks at Red Square and inside Viking Union are also a great place to find flyers for upcoming public events.
Western Washington University Sports
WWU Vikings offers an online portal for student-athletes and the public to view sporting events from the events calendar and order tickets.
Sports at Western include men’s and women’s teams for basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, and track and field, plus women’s rowing, softball, and volleyball. The WWU cheer squad has a gender-neutral team that attends basketball games and other activities.
Site visitors can also browse the teams’ records. These include the women’s rowing team’s nine NCAA Division II national championship titles (as the first women’s team to win seven consecutively).
Western Gallery at WWU
The Western Gallery art museum is free and open to the public. Their visit, exhibitions, and events pages note regular hours they are open Monday through Saturday, plus special events.
“Western Gallery exhibitions concentrate on national and international art,” their site notes, and they sometimes exhibit students’ capstone projects. Gallery A and Gallery B are accessible within the building while exhibits are running.
Gallery events, which emphasize public education, include guided tours, artist talks and symposia, and music and dance performances.
Western Washington University’s Sculpture Collection
Western’s Sculpture Collection, previously covered in WhatcomTalk, has twice made records as one of the country’s top ten campus collections and features internationally renowned artists. Over 30 permanent sculptures are open to the public at all hours.
Pieces such as Isamu Noguchi’s “Sky Viewing Sculpture,” Nancy Holt’s “Stone Enclosure: Rock Rings,” Bruce Nauman’s “Stadium Piece,” Lloyd Hamrol’s “Log Ramps,” Richard Serra’s “Wright’s Triangle,” and Mark di Suvero’s “For Handel” encourage the observer to walk under and interact with them. Tom Otterness’ “Feats of Strength” human figures create a whimsical spot to relax.
Indoor Sculptures appear inside buildings such as Wilson and Haggard Libraries, Viking Union, Miller Hall, Academic West, and the Performing Arts Center.
Website visitors can request a group tour or consult the brochure.
Performing Arts Center at Western Washington University
The Performing Arts Center features its own concerts and events calendar for both free and ticketed performances.
The PAC Galleries include tapestries by American sculptor Alexander Calder, paintings by Pacific Northwest artists in the Sarah Clark-Langager Gallery, and a permanent “Nooksack Middle Fork” video installation by Claude Zervas. The lobby is open during building hours, and the halls are open during concerts or by request.
Science Activities at Western Washington University
As noted in a previous WhatcomTalk article, Western’s Geology Museum features collections throughout three floors of the Environmental Studies Building. George Mustoe’s exhibits include minerals, fossils, and models in ascending order. Visitors during building hours can see local fossils of Diatryma bird tracks and Chuckanut formation palm fronds, plus others from around the world.
The Spanel Planetarium in Haggard Hall allows visitors to schedule public or private shows through their Schedules and Tickets tab.
Science Math and Technology Education (SMATE) includes a taxidermy bird collection and science education materials for children and adults in their Learning Resource Center.
Sehome Hill Arboretum in Whatcom County
Sehome Hill Arboretum offers six miles of hiking trails through 175.5 acres. Visitors can enjoy the Chuckanut formation tunnel and observation tower, which provide spectacular views of Bellingham Bay.
The WWU Tree Tour allows viewers to explore landmark trees on campus and in the Arboretum.
WWU’s Libraries and AS Bookstore
Western Libraries and the Associated Students Bookstore are open for the public to visit. Bookstore visitors can buy merchandise and books outside of the student sections, and guests with the Whatcom Libraries Collaborate can even borrow items from the library.
Dining Options at Western Washington University
Dining at WWU includes publicly available options such as Miller Market, Atrium Market, Zoe’s Bookside Bagels, Viking Union Coffee Shop, Freshens Fresh Food Studios, and Vendor’s Row outside Viking Union. Chains such as Subway and Starbucks are available in buildings such as Viking Union and Arntzen Hall.
Lunch inside Viking Union offers one of the best views in town. It’s also the home of KUGS 89.3 FM, the student-run station playing multi-genre music anywhere in Bellingham and online.
When visiting Western Washington University, mind all written rules and respect the learning community as it gives back to the surrounding city.
